Ah, so you bought it, Trotter? And went with your instincts; well done!

I like this piece - I've not seen many of Tolkien's letters, so the salutation 'My dear Brian' - is new to me. I'm reminded of a letter to Rayner Unwin in which Tolkien comments that he was of a generation which used last names almost exclusively. Same with the signing off; 'yours ever' - a sign of a relaxation of formality in Tolkien's later years?

And I _love_ the sig. Never seen one quite like that before, with the dots almost forming a face; and the colour is very attractive, too. A nice piece!